Many database systems include applications that provide tools for database administrators to perform, for example, data management, scheduling and creation of database backups, and restoration of data from these backups in the event of data loss. These applications create metadata about the database being managed and store these metadata in a repository. For example, an application may record in the repository such metadata as when a backup was created and which files were backed up. A single repository can typically hold the metadata of multiple applications hosted on multiple database systems.
When the applications hosted on multiple database systems are updated to a newer version, the repository that stores the metadata also needs to be updated. However, all applications need to be suspended or stopped from running in order to update the repository and applications. One typical reason that the applications need to be suspended is because the repository cannot be modified or deleted when accessed by the applications. However, the suspensions of the applications may create downtime for data access. In today's data-driven enterprise, business-critical databases need to be operational around the clock to facilitate decision making, e-commerce, and a myriad of other business processes.